In the Blood: Turles
by NiceNipps
Summary: In this companion to Kakarot's story, "In the Blood," tells of the other half of the Saiyan twin, Turles  aka Goku ,  adventure on a new planet and finding what a heart in love can accomplish. Rated M for later Chapters.
1. Chapter 1: The King

Just a few things before I start to tell this story;

1. This is an Alternate Universe.

2. Kakarot is a female and her stage name is Goku.

3. Turles is Kakarot's twin (rare in Saiyans). Also aka Goku

4. All Z Team characters are Saiyans, except Piccolo and Tien (others may change though).

5. Family trees different; Gohan father of Bardock, Bardock father of Radditz, Turles and Kakarot, Gohan, and Goten (Bardock considered a womanizer; no one really knows how many kids he has).

6. Vegeta has blue eyes, only found in Royals.

7. Vegeta has two brothers, both younger; Broly (slow and stupid), and Trunks (playboy and self centered). He also will have a baby sister named Bra.

8. Saiyans not all power hunger and vicious.

9. Anything else will be explained during my story.

10. And of course I don't own anything Dragonball, more's the pity.

_Italics is thoughts_

"Talking"

Chapter 1:

The King

Turles was on his way back to his sister's room after leaving the King.

The meeting hadn't gone exactly as Turles had expected it to; which was yelling and demands of the Volani family should control their daughters more. But the meeting was stranger. First the King himself met Turles at the door with the silliest grin on his face. Then the Queen was just leaving and the King actually slapped at her ass and she just giggled as she slapped back. The silly "oh" :O look followed closely by a lusty smirk from the King had the poor younger Saiyan gagging. _I do not want to see my royal's foreplay._

Then the King raised his arm and gave Turles a massive slap on the… (get your mind out of the gutter)… back and congratulated him on being twins with such a powerful Saiyan.

"Thank you," Turles mumbled out. He had no idea what to expect; his sister had looked happy but forlorn after she had meet with the King.

"Care for some refreshment?" the King gestured to the side bar that had popped out of the wall.

"No, thank you."

"Are you sure? You may need it in a when I tell you your future." Turles was only slightly alarmed by the smirk his sovereign was giving him. _At least it's not a lusty look._

"Then by all means, sire."

"Good, good," and he poured two glasses full of a deep red liquid. Turles knew what it was by the fragrance; the red wine made from the fruit harvested on their moon. The moon fruit is the only living organism on the moon. Only during harvest were Saiyans permitted to reside on the moon's surface. The fruit was the only fermentation to get a Saiyan truly drunk. It was a rare treat to get a drink, what with the selective bottling and with the prices high as a new slave; female and a virgin no less but very pricy.

The taste was like nothing any Saiyan has ever had to drink. The wine was good for reducing the Saiyan appetite, increasing lust, and made certain Saiyans powerful enough to feel they could take on the Ice-jinn, and fail in the end. The fruit itself was poisonous. It is only during the process of becoming a wine during the next full moon after the harvest that the poison becomes the fermenting factor.

Turles had only drunk the moon wine one other time. His brother Radditz had stolen it from a local seller around Turles' 15th birthday. They had gotten so drunk upon waking up in a power blasted cave on the other side of the planet, with no clothes and four equally clad women, they had laughed for a good ten minutes. Of course they had no recollection of what had happened and the women filled them in on the lost memories. By the bruises and cuts on each other's body, they had started off with a friendly spar that had escalated to an all out battle. They had gained an audience, which the women were a part of, and then proceeded to have wild and crazy sex with the poor women.

Turles was smiling at the memory of each woman trying to cover themselves and failing; the sex that followed he did remember. The King must have seen the smile and asked about it. Turles blushed and stated, "Just remembering a good time with moon wine, sire."

"Ah yes, I only am allowed to have a glass a night and sometimes none at all. I also have way to much fun when I get a bottle opened and downed before my mate finds the bottle missing." He chuckled thinking how his mate was going to stop him when she was round as a pot bellied lizard (a version of our pot bellied pigs only scaly).

Turles took the glass offered to him and took a gulp. He was nervous so a little sip was not going to work; he needed the liquid courage to relax. The smooth flavorful liquid coated his throat, warmed his belly, and stirred his groin. _I may need a woman after this meeting._ He set the glass on the table by where he stood.

"Sit boy, you will need the chair after another swig of that." He was pointing to the chair under the table. So Turles sat.

The King looked at him and now wondered how no one could tell Turles and Kakarot were twins. They shared the same facial features, the same posture in standing and sitting, the same mannerisms, and the only difference was one was a male and the other a female. The King now wished he had had on a scoutor while Kakarot was in here and now this lad to compare power levels. _I wonder if the boy's hair can go blonde as well,_ he thought. _I wonder if he even knows how powerful his sister truly is._

Turles looks up from his glass to see the King contemplative stare and chin rubbing. The King was wondering what a child produced from his line and the Valoni would create. It wasn't a new thought but had resurfaced since seeing the girl in action. He would have to talk with Bardock about keeping the girl hidden all these years. _Why would he keep her a secret when he knew I would have been thrilled to have her as a daughter and him finally as family? Oh the grandchildren we could have already._

"Sire, if I may inquire, why I am here?" the Kings thoughts of strong family alliances was broken by the question.

"Why I want to see what sort of Saiyan you are."

"Sire?"

"Now that your sister has won the tourney, the only women to ever do so, and has showed great power people will start to wonder after you. They may begin to compare you two and either find you lacking or above your sister." The King took three steps and sat in the other chair by the table. "I wish to know more about you before others do. Though I believe I can safely say you are headed for greatness."

"Thank you sire, but I am nowhere near my sister. I …"

"Pish posh, my boy. You just have not been given the chance or the pressure to achieve the power your sister has." _Now to lay out my plan, _then aloud, "how would you like to earn the position of Elite Royal, like your sister, and without the use of blood testing?" The look on Turles' face was enough to convince the King. Turles face was one of shock and delight at the prospect. He was also very happy about no needles.

"Me," Turles touched his hand to his chest as he asked, "as a Royal Elite? I would be honored." He quickly grabbed his glass and downed the last of it; half the glass.

As the liquid soothed his dry throat he contemplated what it would take: a quest, a purging, a marriage, an eating contest. All would be acceptable except the mating part. He considered himself way too young to even think about that yet. Plus he wanted to find that one that stirred not only his loins but his heart as well. So far he hadn't met a female that did that.

Then as if reading his mind the King said, "it would involve leaving the planet on a mission."

"What sort of mission, sire?"

The King rubbed his hands together and laid out the plan to the young Saiyan.

Authors note: sorry this one is so short, but hopefully the next few will make up for it. ;)

Also this is a companion piece to "In the Blood" it will tell of Turles adventures in finding love, peace of mind, and a knowledge of how to defeat the Cold empire. PLEASE let me know w hat you think and I love suggestions for what you may want to see happen in future chapters. ;)


	2. Chapter 2: Lost Friends

Chapter 2:

Lost Friends

Turles was standing in front of his sister's door, while having perplexing thoughts of stupidity. _I'm stupid, stupid, stupid, _was all that he kept thinking. Also some thoughts of banging his head against the door instead of knocking were in his mind. _What have I got myself into? Not only is the King's plan dangerous, but I'm actually looking forward to it. I must be crazy. No just stupid._

The two guards posted at Kakarot's door were just as perplexed; here was the strongest woman in Saiyan history's brother looking as if he wanted to do mischief and they couldn't do anything about it. Those were the orders from Lady Kakarot. It was strange how only in a few minutes after she herself knew, the whole castle knew of her advanced state of level. No longer was she Kakarot, but now royalty.

Just the thought made Turles want to bang his head. He had been standing outside her door for a little over 20 minutes. The guards tried to be respectful, but after a few mutterings about "stupid women" and "stupid blood," and the hand to forehead hitting they were having a hard time not laughing. And then the Lady's brother would keep walking back to the stairs, turn back around heading for the door muttering all the while, and then turn to the stairs again. He would do this over and over thus causing the guards to snicker slightly. Not that the agitated Saiyan would notice.

Finally one had the courage to ask, "sir can we help you?" Turles turned on the young man so fast both guards backed up. All the talk among the palace, no, the planet was the Volani strength in the arena. These two have been stationed here since the beginning of the tourney and were now faced with a twin who may be able to extinguish their lives; perhaps with a flick of his fingers.

But he chose not to, instead he calmly said, "no I just dread lying to my sister," he sighed and went to open the door. The two, now relief sighing, guards nodded as in understanding. Though neither have sisters as strong as Lady Kakarot.

Turles walked into the suit of rooms Kakarot occupied. She wasn't in the sitting room or the bedroom; that left the bathroom. He walked over to the door and asked, "Kakarot, are you alright?" Her reply was muffled but he could make out, "I'm fine, just going to take a shower. Wait for me in the kitchen." he started to walk away and she mentally yelled out, "_make some food for me, would ya_?"

He answered, "_Always thinking with your stomach_." He was relived she was hungry and talking to him mentally. _Neglecting to share with me must have been hard for her._ _I hope she will finally open up and tell me what has been going on._ He walked into the tiny kitchen and began to make some noodles.

Soon Kakarot was standing in front of him, then the noodles were all gone, then she started talking.

She told him about the last year while she was with grandpa, it had been wonderful for her, but Turles remembered it being awful. It had been the first time the twins had been physically apart for a long length of time. He didn't admit it but it had been boring without her around; she livened up his life.

Kakarot also said it was much more intense and lonely than any other of their stays with Gohan. She had been up before the sun was and asleep just before the moon was high in the sky. Gohan had her working so hard she had no time to think about the upcoming tourney.

Then she told him everything she had hidden from him for the past three weeks; that only days before the tourney Gohan had given her the idea by telling her it was time to prepare. "I had no idea what he was talking about, '_Prepare for what' _I asked myself,_ 'prepare to let some stranger have his way with me, when I could be stronger than him.'_ That's what started it all: the cutting of my hair, the playing dress up as a male, the wining, everything."

Turles could tell she was hesitating but he held himself back knowing that she would tell him. But what she said next was not what he had expected. She had slept with the prince. _The bastard,_ was his first thought and then _is that treason?_

Though he wanted to hurt something, namely the prince's face, he listened to it all with no interruption or comment until she stopped. She hadn't even been done with the surprises. He was sure some of his faces may have betrayed how he felt about these new developments. "So grandpa gave you the idea, you slept with the heir to the throne, you have to move away to the Dial Mountains, and you are now a titled heiress?"

"Yes, but you make it all sound so bad."

"No just ridiculous" he said almost laughing seeing her blush. "To think that this is you talking, I would never have thought of you as a risk taker." He was shaking his head but chuckling softly. "And here I thought I had it bad." He hadn't realized he had spoken out loud until she responded,

"What's bad for you?" He looked at her and for the first time in a long time lied to her face, "oh being your brother." And she promptly slapped his arm playfully. _At least she's smiling again._

"So, what's the plan?" he still was concerned for her. _A lot has happened to her in such a short time. Now may not be the best time to tell her about the King's plan for me._

"I have to be at my new home in two weeks time and then back here to choose my new guard. I still don't see a need for them but the King insisted." _At least I can be there for her a little while longer._

"Great I'll be going with you." He was smiling his big goofy grin even though he was shocked the words were out of his mouth. Then walking to the door he stated, "the sooner we leave the faster I can see you safely set."

"Turles, you can't stay," she sounded sad when she said it. "The King gave me specific instructions that no family members could be chosen to be my guards."

"I know, but he never said I couldn't visit for months, even years at a time." His cheeky grin was still in full force and his meaning sank in and she laughed._ Good a little laughter never hurt anyone, and she needs it more than anyone right now._

"You never did tell me what you and the royals talked about." She was now smirking at him.

_Darn, and here I was hoping she would forget. _"It's not important. I'll tell you on the way to your place."

"Okay, but I won't forget and you had best not lie to me."

He smiled and decides a joke would help her laugh. He began with, "so a mother went out for the day leaving the father to watch over their three year old little girl." He checked to make sure she was paying attention and continued. "The little girl had just gotten a tiny tea set for a get well present and wanted to show daddy how she could make tea. Every time she brought him a cup of tea, which was just water, he would praise her for being able to make the yummiest tea he had ever drunk. She would beam a happy smile at him and proceed to make him another cup of tea. When the mother came home the father made her wait in the living room to see their daughter serve him tea. He proclaimed it was the cutest thing she had done since her accident. So the mother waited and sure enough the little girl came in carefully carrying a little cup of water to her father. The mother watched with a laugh on her lips as he drank the water up. Then she said, you do realize that the only place she can reach to get water from is the toilet." He concluded dramatic like he always did for the punch line. Turles mainly did this so Kakarot would get it and sure enough she did. She laughed and it made him happy to hear the sound.

He left soon after and was out the door in a flash. He had forgotten he wanted to buy her a congratulation present from the market before he left. Turles was just out of the palace heading towards the market place when he was hit from behind; by a flying object the size of kid. "Hey," he pouted, "what'd ya do that for?" All the while he was looking for the culprit.

"Sorry mister, we were playing and a stray landed on your head." Turles looked down at the dirty little urchin standing to his left. _Stray what; ball, rock, or kid?_

"No harm done," he said as he rubbed the back of his head and smiled (classic Goku stance). And as quickly as he had been hit the kid ran off. As Turles watched the kid joins some other urchins. Suddenly a man converged on them and he seemed to scare them.

Turles approached them saying, "hey what are you doing…" but he never got to finish because the man had picked up the kid who had hit Turles head and was slightly shaking him…her…whatever the little dirty thing was; Turles couldn't tell. "Stop that," he demanded.

Then the man looked at him and Turles froze. The man's name stuck in his throat and Turles basically wheezed it out, "Yamcha?"

"Hey Turles." Anger had become shock, shock to amazement and followed by joy.

"Dude, where have you been?"

"Later, right now I need to settle something with this kid." Yamcha looked back at the urchin.

"What they do to you?" Turles pointed at Yamcha.

"Not me, you." Yamcha nodded in Turles direction.

"Me? The little …" he had no idea what it was so he continued with, "thing accidently hit me; no big deal."

"No not that, this." With saying that Yamcha turned the kid over, the head was pointing towards the ground, and began to shake him/her. He only stopped after a few items fell to the ground. Still holding the kid with one hand Yamcha reached down and picked up a pouch.

"Hey that looks a lot like my…" Turles reached for his money bag on his waist and found it gone. "Hey you little thief," he was walking towards Yamcha and the urchin while speaking. Then what seemed like 20 or more other dirty urchins surrounded the threesome.

"What…?" was only out when the group disappeared along with the one Yamcha had been holding.

Turles was watching Yamcha smile and shake his head as he said, "at least I still have this." He held up Turles pouch with a flourish and both men started to chuckle.

Turles walked over to his long-time, long missing friend and threw his arm around his shoulder and asked, "so what's up?" Turles got no answer. He also noticed his friend seemed to flinch and tense up when he was in the friendly stance. "Really, what has been going on with you?"

"Let's talk at my place," and saying that Yamcha was out of the embrace and walking away. It was to his retreating back that Turles noticed why his friend was acting strange. He made no comment but slowly followed his friend deeper into the city slums.

When they finally stopped in front of one of the better looking buildings, Yamcha opened a door and walked in. Turles followed, still not talking but thoughts running rampant: _Why him, when, why didn't he tell me, what has he been through_, and more along the same line.

When his friend sat Turles sat and when Yamcha began to talk Turles just listened; he seemed to be doing a lot of that today. Yamcha's whole demeanor changed once he started to talk. The once straight shoulders slumped and his cheerful face lost the smile. "You remember that last mission I was so excited to go on? The one that would help boost my rank?"

Turles nodded.

"The one I never returned from?"

Another nod.

"We all thought it would be easy, with perhaps some challenges. To purge four worlds in two months was to be a great feat and a good trade for the rank advancements we would all get; if we came home alive. I was especially excited because Puar's father had finally agreed on the day we could mate. I would be able to have the family I always longed for…with her. I left days after we were mated and then my happy ending became a nightmare." He wiped his face with his shaking hands and continued with a sigh, "we weren't even half done with the first planet, which was a breeze so far, when THEY showed up."

He lifted his eyes to Turles and the lost, almost dead, look shocked Turles. Never was his friend this way. He was almost in league with Kakarot for carefree spirit and happiness. _What was going on?_

"Have you ever seen them Turles? The ice creatures; all white, slimy and cold?" He actually shivered on remembering. "The ice-jiins killed everyone. People were not even giving a chance to surrender, to be allies instead of slaves. At least we gave the planet that option, but the cold just waved hands and cities were destroyed. Nothing was left. Our team decided that it was not acceptable since we had been sent to this world and under orders at ally anyone who wished it."

He got up and walked over to the makeshift shelves of cardboard and old bricks. He grabbed a bottle of something, poured himself a glass, and as if remembering Turles was offered some. Turles declined, he still had two glasses of moon wine in his system. After a swallow and a shiver Yamcha sat and again continued.

"I was the only one in our team to survive and just barely at that. I was found by a recon team from a neighboring planet. I spent five months under guard in their hospital and then another five as a prisoner. I was being trialed for the murders of the people of the destroyed planet. It was only after a few survivors can forward to testify I was a defender not a slayer. And I think the fact that I was nearly dead myself when found was a big help."

"I almost wanted them to find me guilty. I wouldn't have come home in disgrace. I wouldn't have come at all." Yamcha was staring off and then suddenly his eyes were on Turles. "You saw my back?" he asked.

Turles nodded.

"Huh, the doctors said it could have been re-grown but for the extensive scar tissue." He laid his head back on the chair and sighed heavily. Turles knew that kind of sigh; one you used to try to stop tears. It took awhile for Yamcha to control himself and continue, "I stayed there for a few more months earning some income and a way home. I never let them know I was alive. I asked that word be sent that I had either fallen in battle or was unable to locate."

"But Puar?" Turles finally said.

"I am not fit to be a proper mate; a disgraced, fallen, tailless freak! I thought it would be better if she went on with her life and try to find someone else."

"Puar never re-mated." Turles said quietly.

"What?"

"Have you even been by to see if she's okay?"

"Once, when I first came back, but I never let her see me. She looked to be in good spirits."

"Then you don't know."

"Know what?" Yamcha had not really wanted to ask. By asking he was only leading himself to more pain by not being able to experience anything with her.

"After word came, which by the way I thought was a load of crock; her father wanted her to re-mate. She refused. Puar wanted her child to carry its father's name."

"What?" Yamcha was out of his chair and gripping Turles shoulders like his life depended on their support.

"About six months out of your departure she got the news of your fall in battle. Four months later she had a boy."

"I have a son." The look of wonder was good to see on the man's face after the despair he had shown earlier. "She was pregnant when I left."

"You didn't see him when you saw her? He had to have been a little over a year old when you saw her."

"No, I had eyes for her and only her. The thought of a child never entered my mind. I wanted to see her and make sure she was okay. What has she had to do to survive?"

"Well I see her once and a while." Yamcha scowled when he heard this. Knowing what his friend was thinking Turles threw up his hands, defending himself said, "no, not like that. You're my closest friend next to Kakarot. I wanted to visit to see how she was doing. Support to a friend's mate."

"Sorry Turles," he looked ashamed, "but knowing who your father is and looking so much like him I just jumped to conclusions."

"Understandable. I haven't found that one girl I would kill for or love for the rest of my days. I would question me too if I saw me around a pretty, presumably widowed woman. But she was your mate and he's your son. I was a friend when she needed me and an uncle to Jules."

"Jules. Is that his name?"

"Yeah she said after your father and her mother."

Yamcha chuckled, "Julius and Jewel."

"Yeah," was Turles answer to that.

"Why didn't she ever re-mate?"

"She believes you are still alive. Her father went along with it to keep her happy. She put her foot down hard when he tried to broach the subject over the years. I think he's finally acknowledged that he has a grandson to follow him and a happy daughter, so he doesn't ask anymore, though he may try again." Turles sat forward in his chair and looking straight at the other said, "He's a little over five now, Yamcha; an age when a young Saiyan boy needs his FATHER, not an uncle or a grandfather. He needs you."

"Don't start. You don't think I know that. It doesn't change my decision to not let my fall from grace touch them. He's better thinking I lived and died for honor, bravery, and all things Saiyan rather than living like this." To stress his point he waved his arms at his little space in the corner of the city slums.

"So now that I know you live what am I suppose to tell her?"

"Lie and tell her I AM dead."

"I won't hurt her like that."

"I know, but what am I suppose to do?"

"Try actually talking to her, she may not care about the tail business."

"It's not her I'm worried about, but her father. He was against us from the start. The only reason we were ever mated was the fact that when I came back from the mission I would be of a higher rank. How do you think he will react when I show up with no tail because I failed to protect my own back? He won't stand by while I try to reclaim what he thinks is still his to protect. He will want her to go to someone of higher rank."

Turles wasn't really listening cause he was actually thinking (yeah a tough job for him). "I wonder…" he whispered. Yamcha heard it though and asked, "wonder what?"

"What if there is a way to prove you are worthy of Puar, a way to gain back your honor?"

"I would jump at the chance, but how? I would have to end up saving Elite, a Royal Elite, from certain doom." There it was again the despair. Turles was tire of hearing it.

"In little over a month there will be a chance for any Saiyan to be selected as the new guard to the Duchess of Dial. I think you should go and try."

"How do you know this? I have yet to hear any news of this magnitude, and I live in the fastest news traveling capital on Vegeta-sai."

"That's because it was decide only an hour before I meet you. There is a new lady to the Royal Elite's and the King has ordered her to choose 200 men to be her guard."

"Who is this lady that SHE gets to choose?"

"Oh yeah," Turles was rubbing the back of his head and grinning weirdly (classic Goku stance), "I forgot not everyone has heard that news, too!"

Yamcha had his mouth open and was staring at his friend with amazement. Then he burst out laughing. Turles always had a way to affect people, making them laugh in spite of other feelings they had. "So who is she," he asked after the laughter faded.

"My sister," Turles couldn't hide the pride that came into his voice when he mentioned her.

Of course the look of disbelief Yamcha gave him was only natural. "Kakarot? The little annoying girl who was always following us around? That Kakarot? How is that even possible?" he was chuckling as he spoke.

"Didn't you watch the tourney?" Turles asked in disbelief.

"Ah… no, I was busy with… um… work." Turles looked at him closely and though not really believing him let it slide.

"Well she entered as the bastard son of Bardock, Goku Son."

"Goku WAS Kakarot?"

"So you did get some of the tourney?"

"Well yes, who didn't hear about the young Saiyan working his way through all those pompous Elites? It was all the talk how a third class nobody was cutting up the others like a knife in butter. I just wasn't there to see the final round." He sighed, "but what I wouldn't have given to see a female win the tourney."

"The first ever," Turles supplied. "She won and claimed her freedom by the own King's decree." When Yamcha only looked at Turles in a dazed way Turles told him the short version of the last two weeks events: the blood tests, the request, the promise, the reveal, the advancement, and the royal treatment.

And all Yamcha said was, "whoa."

"Yeah, so now she gets to choose her guards, men or women. And knowing her she'll want people she can trust. She knows you, even if not for a few years. She will need someone like you; familiar."

"You think so?" the sheer hope in his voice was nice to hear after an hour of his depressed telling of his past few years.

"Oh yeah. Go and just tell the truth. I bet she'll give you a good position."

"Thanks Turles," it was heartfelt gratitude, not the beholding kind.

"No problem. It's the least I can do for a friend and mentor." Turles looked at the other man, who though 15 years older still looked the same as when he left (minus a tail). As a young recruit Turles had gotten into a scuffle with a few older bullies; Yamcha had helped end it. Ever since, the younger has looked up to and had an occasional spar with the older Saiyan.

Yamcha was the man Turles first talked to about the opposite sex, first he used a new ki move on, the first he went talking to about problems, and the first he called close friend. He was another older brother, but more like a father. In a time when his father was away more often than at home that was what a maturing male needed. It hurt that they had had only a year to form that relationship, that's why for the past five years of his disappearance Turles was more than happy to be an uncle to his friend's son.

The two friends sat and talked until the sun went down and the moon was at its highest. Turles was reluctant to leave, almost fearing Yamcha would disappear again. He finally left with his friend in better spirits and with a solid promise to seek out the guard assignment.


	3. Chapter 3: Goodbyes

Chapter 3:

Goodbyes

Unlike his sister Turles was given a month to set his affairs in order and then he would be gone. And it didn't even take him that long to do the setting; he didn't have that much stuff to take care of.

He had yet to tell his twin about the mission; he dreaded it. He still didn't know what it would do to both of them. They had never been separated over long distances or for more than a few months. _What were a few years and millions of light-years going to do?_ His luck was with him because Kakarot had been distracted with her move to and the start of remodeling her new home.

So distracted she paid no attention to her own body signals being whacky. He had felt such rage when he realized why her energy was that way. He wanted to smash the prince's face in, again. And even though it would mean his death Turles really wanted to. She had told him what happened, but apparently more than Turles was happy with did. He was happy she didn't mention any of specific details. He may have committed treason right then.

Now he was leaving and at a time when she needed help the most. Then remembering his own mother's death due to her twin link he set his mind to completely shut her out when he left. He had two days before he left and he was playing over in his mind how he would tell Kakarot about it. Phrases like: "I've got a mission and I'll be gone a few years," "I'm leaving for a few years," "I got to go die for my King," and "what's a few years between family." Other phrases kept coming up also while he thought out his telling; "can I go kill the future King for touching you," "do you think the future of Vegeta should rest on the shoulders of a eunuch. Well that's what he'll be for touching you," or "I hope you don't have a boy."

But he would always say, "no, no, no," out loud.

But it was Kakarot who approached Turles about leaving. She out and asked, "when do you leave?"

They had been eating dinner and Turles was getting ready to sit, butt poised half to the chair when she had asked. He blurted, "two days," as he sat harder than needed in the chair.

"Oh. I didn't realize so soon." She had looked so sad when she said that.

"What do you mean realized? You've known this whole time that I…"

"Was leaving for awhile?" she chuckled over her sadness. "How can I not when you've been trying to kill me with your thoughts all open and then suddenly closed, open, closed, and open. Usually open on snips of the mission conversation and others I wished you had kept to yourself."

He rubbed the back of his neck in amusement and a little embarrassment. "I hadn't realized I was doing that. I guess I had no control over if you listened or not."

"No? Well if you're going to be gone so long try to control it a little more." She was smiling when she said this.

"Ok" he sheepishly replied.

"Will you tell me about it?"

"I don't really want to, but I know you will just keep asking until I relent. Maybe telling you will help me block you better."

"Is it really that hard to keep me out?

"Only when you are this close and I keep thinking of you being alone. Completely by yourself. The farther I will get away the more I may not be able to protect you and…"

"I'll be fine," she said while rolling her eyes, "now talk."

Her cheeky grin made him relax. _This is Kaki I'm talking to, the most powerful female on our planet. Of course she can take care of herself._ "it will take six months to get there and back. Then he said it may take three to four years to convince them to join the Saiyan alliance."

"He?"

"The King. He said that I'll be an ambassador and if I can prove my worth there I can prove it here; join you as an Elite."

"Why not just test you in the next tourney?"

"He said that 'not all power is by the fist' or something like that. He wants to see if I have dad's brains, but also I will fight to prove myself to the prospective planet." He paused for a second and went on, "you know being able to protect them and all."

"Does this proving have to do with me winning the tourney? Because if it is then it's stupid." She looked away a tad bit and sounded angry.

"Stupid yes, but I think he wants to see what I'm capable of. He is a great conversationalist and strategist. If not for being King I would think him one of dad's old crony friends. They act the same sometimes." Turles gave a little chuckle.

"He is," she said it so nonchalantly and quietly that Turles almost didn't hear her.

"He is what?"

"One of dad's old friends."

"Huh? What?" Turles had a disbelieving look on his face.

"Yeah. At one time he was just a prince and not the King."

"Well duh!" was his sarcastic reply.

"He and dad were REALLY good friends," she had continued as if he hadn't spoken. "Dad the planner and Vegeta the follow through. They had a gang at one time, but now they are the only two left from their wild youths."

"Who would have thought, our dad a gangster," he chuckled that line out.

"Yeah, well once Vegeta's father passed suddenly he took over and as King assumed a whole new personality. Dad coped by falling in love and having a dozen kids. They see each other on occasion, but as responsible adults and not as hell raisers." She laughed a little at the thought of the two greatest influences in her life as naughty little boys and it was a little disturbing, but funny too.

"How did you find this out?"

"Dad told me they both wanted our families to merge. As teenagers, a prince playing with a third class brainee was frowned upon. To actually join them was just a dream. At the time they really wanted it, but both only had sons. Or so the King thought and dad never changed the facts to the truth."

"You? That was why King Vegeta was surprised when you came forward at the testing."

"Dad never told the King about me being his daughter. Otherwise I could very well be mated to Vegeta right now."

"That may be better, if not disgusting," he muttered to himself.

"What?" she was glaring at him.

"Nothing" he held his hands up on a gesture of innocence.

"So…" she started out to change the subject yet again from Vegeta. "At least four years you might be gone."

"If not longer."

"And no contact through telepathy." It was more of a sad statement than a question.

"Yeah. It may be hard at first, but we have had lots of practice."

"Turles?"

"Yeah?"

"How will I know you will be ok?" she asked quietly.

"You won't." She had tensed a little at that so he quickly added, "you have to trust your other instincts. You're the best at that." He moved to stand and touched his chest right over where his heart resided, conveying that their hearts would know. "I want you to take care of that kid," he said now pointing at her stomach.

Her hand flew over it as if to protect it while saying, "how…? I just realized it. How did you…?" _Was she stuttering. Kaki never stutters._

"I know your ki signal and it's been whacky for the few weeks we've been here." He tried to make his voice sound reassuring.

"Are you angry with me?" her eyes were downcast and she wouldn't look at him. _Oh Kaki, I never would have thought you would react this way. You are the stronger one. _ He moved in front of her and kneeled. Taking her chin in his hands he tilts her face up to look into her eyes.

"Never, but the prince, yes. How could he throw you away like that?"

"He didn't, I left him." _Did her eyes just change color. _Turles looked into her eyes again but they were just their plain black. _My imagination is going wild that I am seeing teal eyes on Kaki._

"Are you going to tell him?"

"No." I t had a no rebuke sound to it but Turles had to press the issue. He had to make sure she understood what would happen.

"If it's a boy he will look like Vegeta. The first born always does and there is no way you can keep him a secret for long." _Especially the hair and eye distinction._

"I know. At least he will have a chance to be normal for awhile."

Turles got up and moved back to his chair and sat; a look of distress now evident on his face. "I hate the thought of leaving you alone while so vulnerable. At least Pura is here to help you, but you need more."

"oh really Turles…"

"I mean it. Think about the people you choose for your guard. I've told you about Yamcha and you meet him once. He's down on his luck right now and I trust him, trust him with you."

"I remember him. I'll help him." _And hopefully Puar and Yamcha will finally be back together._ After hearing about why Yamcha wouldn't go see his mate, Puar, Turles had asked Kakarot if she would take the woman in. Puar had shown up and the two females were never very far apart now. Kakarot had not made very many girl friends growing up. She had been more interested in what the boys were up to and sparring. So Puar was her first real best friend. And as soon as Yamcha came here they all would be happy.

Later that night as they were parting ways to their beds he pulled Kakarot into the biggest, longest hug he had ever given her. He took a deep breath and felt her do the same. He was trying to inhale her scent because soon he wouldn't be able to smell it for a long while and he wanted to remember it. _She must be doing the same thing._ _She smells like lemons. I wonder what I smell like to her _(oranges, he smells a little like oranges and a little clover. Love this smell ;P ). Their scents were already imprinted in their minds but to them one last real exposure was important.

He went to bed but didn't sleep very well. He kept having dreams of Kakarot lying on the ground bleeding and looking pale. Over her stood a creature, white and cold, cackling evilly with blood on his hands. And as if held back by soft hands he could not go to her, even trying with all his power (this is the beginning of the twins prophetic visions). He would wake up sweating and in a panic, until each time he checked her ki and found it strong a few doors down.

Two days later their goodbyes outside the manor were subdued; a wave and no more. _So very Saiyan_, he thought.

It only took him half a day to reach the royal city. He was to leave in his own personal pod at 0600 hours the next morning, so he sat and waited. He must have dozed off because the next thing he knew someone was pounding on his door waking him up.

"Alright! Hold your blasted fists." He was expecting a Royal guard but what he got when opening the door was the young Vegeta. At first he wanted to go with is brotherly instincts and rip the prince's head off but he just slightly bowed his head. Vegeta's response was a slight lift of his eyebrow and a "curious." Turles at that moment did not care if he was being disrespectful; he made a choice to never fully bow to this Saiyan in the future , even if he would be King and it meant Turles death.

"My father wishes to see you before you leave." With that Vegeta turned and began walking away. Turles watched him go, confused as to why he wasn't dead. _No one has ever gotten away with that much and lived. Vegeta was known for his temper. Interesting._ He was pulled out of his thoughts by Vegeta saying, "unless you know this place like the back of your hand, and won't get lost, you had best get your ass in gear and move it." _Now that sounded more like the prince everyone knew._

"Lead on." He was taken back to the same door as before. True to his word Turles would have gotten lost by himself if not for Vegeta guiding him, there were so many turns and look-alike halls and doors. He was about to knock when he looked at Vegeta. The prince had yet to leave and looked like he wanted to say something, but after a few open to closed mouth attempts he turned and left. _More interesting. I wonder if that had anything to do with Kakarot._

Turles knocked and only after a few seconds he heard an, "enter," and once again he was in audience with the King.

"Ah, Turles, nice to see you again." The King gave the younger man a hefty whack on the back. "Do you ever look like you father."

"I do, sire?"

"Hell yes, boy. Usually it is the first born who takes after the father, but you are his spitting image as a young man." After hearing this Turles thought was_ hopefully that will not be the case for Kakarot's baby. Taking after the Valoni would be a miracle._ The King continued, "we were close friends back in our youths." _ Never thought the King would admit that,_ t_hough he is the first King in history to give away so many advancements in a single reign. _Since he came into power this Vegeta had been giving the upgrades to worthy Saiyans at least 2 to 3 times a year. It was a strategic move that gained him many new followers and allies that the Saiyan Empire had not seen in ages. _And all because he was friends with my dad as a youth._

"I asked you to stop by here on your way to leave so I could give you some information." King Vegeta walked over to the table they had shared a drink at weeks ago and picked up a small disc. he handed Turles the disc while stating, "pop this into the computer console before you engage hyper-sleep"

"Ok" Turles sounded a little confused.

"It will give you a complete history of the planet and people you are going to spend the next several years with; including their language."

"Their language," Turles was surprised that was possible.

"You didn't think I would send you somewhere without knowing how to communicate with them? While you sleep your brain retains more information and recalls it better. By the time you make it to Planet Diamond you will know as much as any native." The King once again whacked Turles on the back. "It was an invention of your father's."

"Thank you, sir."

"Being Bardock's son I know you will use the disc. 'Knowledge is power' your dad says. 'Know they enemy and you can outsmart them' I always say." Then he laughed not even explaining why it was so funny.

"Yes sir." Turles was still confused as the King himself showed him the door. _What was that about? So they basically said the same thing but my dad said it simply and the King had to be complex. Old people are so weird._

Outside the door a guard waited to show him the way to the launch area, which was located near his rooms. He patted the pocket he had placed the disc in and walked behind his guide. It was nice that the pods were only a few seconds away from his rooms so he could sleep until 05:55 and still be on time. But he didn't sleep, he would do enough of that on his way to Diamond. No, he sat watching Saiyans arriving and leaving while thinking of all he will miss when gone for five years. Mostly that he would miss out on the key years for a Saiyan child, his niece or nephew. After spending so much time with Yamcha's son Turles knew he wanted his own children and that he will now have to wait to get them. _Maybe I'll be more like my dad than just looks and have a few dozen. _

Exactly at 0600 hours Turles was shot out of the Saiyan atmosphere and was on his way. He waited an hour before setting the sleep mode and inserting the learning disc. This was his first off world mission and he was caught up by the beauty of the passing stars. _Enjoy it while you can, _he though, _you won't see nothing but the back of your eyelids for awhile._ All it took was a quick push of a button and Turles was dreaming of an exotic world.

Three Months Later

**"DANGER! Wake up! DANGER! Wake up!"** the repeated message plus the blast of pure oxygen woke Turles up.

"What?," he demanded groggily, "I was dreaming."

**"Damage to the outer haul. Now at 50 percent."**

"How?" he was more alert with this news.

**"Direct hit from an Ice-jin vessel." **_Oh shit._

"Location?" he looked down at the tiny screen. The red dot was huge compared to his teeny green one.

**"Behind, five o'clock and preparing to fire."**

"Can't this thing go any faster?" as he asked Turles was looking for any button that would help him.

**"Negative, at full capacity." **_Think man, what can you do to live?_

"Planets for sanctuary?"

**"Two planets within range, both unable to sustain life."**

"Great," was what he said, but he was thinking _FUCK _(for those of you who have not read my work before I really hate this word but when I do use it, you will know the person is very angry or pissed off, or perhaps they stubbed their toe).

**"Ice-jin weapons at maximum prepare for impact."**

"Shit," Turles held on tight but that didn't prepare him for the jostling of his pod upon impact. The hit actually dented the pod's side so far that it touched Turles. This is how he noticed the other dents and how he was now positioned in the pod. The pod was designed to be comfortably tight but now it was claustrophobic tight. Turles legs were pushed up into his chest and he couldn't move his head from side to side. He was pretty banged up, too: One of his legs, his arm, and a few ribs were broken he was sure, and he felt blood dripping down his face and off his fingers.

**"Life support failing."**

"FUCK!"

**"Outer haul to collapse in event of another hit. Capacity at one percent."**

"Great. Set course for the nearest planet, life support or none."

**"Confirmed. Course changed to planet in district . Estimated time 2 minutes"**

"Will the pod make it?"

**"Yes, but your injuries will increase as we descend."**

"What?"

**"The pressure will suck the air out and your heart will stop beating due to lack of oxygen."**

"Great. Die by explosion or suffocation? Fine, get me away from the enemy ship and I'll take my chances on the planet's surface." Turles didn't like it but what other choice did he have. He was just glad Kakarot would be walled and will not die from his death. _And she would be well rounded with her brat too. Funny but that was what at the moment of my near death I want most, to pick on her about her size. Now I'll never be able to._

Meanwhile on the Ice-jin ship

"Die little monkey," the cold, white creature snarled. He/she was enjoying this one insignificant kill. Turning him/her on was more like it.

"Sir it appears the monkey is trying to reach that small planet." A picture of the surrounding galaxy appeared before the crazed Ice-jin. The tiny blue dot was the Saiyan pod and it was inching toward the brown dot that was .

"Life support of both pod and planet," the creature asked.

"Pod down to one percent and barely registering life and the planet unable to support any life."

"Hold fire. The little monkey will die on the planet and there's no need for me to be blamed."

"But sir the ships damage," the stupid underling said.

"You dare question me," and before the man could answer a beam of light passed through his body straight into his heart, exploding it with the beams energy. "If you must know I will blame it on a meteor shower you fool."

Without even being told fellow crew members removed the dead body from the bridge.

"That was fun. It isn't ever day you get to play a hand at killing a useless monkey." The creature laughed evilly as it left the bridge. It turned back to give on more order to direct the ship home and then it was gone. Every soldier on the bridge sighed in relief.

Back to Turles

Turles knew the end was coming, the air was being sucked from his lungs and his heart actually was slowing down dramatically.

"Time…land," he wheezed out.

**"One minute 45 seconds."**

"Time…air?"

**"45 seconds."**

Turles grimaced and then smirked slightly insanely. _At least Kakarot is safe. No mind link and only I will die._

But still as the last second of air was used and before he lost consciousness he said, "Goodbye."

Author Note: sorry it was sort of boring to start and now I'm going to leave you hanging for awhile. Let me know what you think.


	4. Chapter 4: Alien among Aliens

Chapter 4:

Alien among Aliens

Turles slowly came awake to the sound of insistent chatter and beeping. "Beep, chatter, beep, chatter." _Shut it,_ he thought. He noticed speaking was difficult; as if someone had closed his throat with something scratchy.

"Beep, chatter, beep, chatter." _ Shut it I said. _Still no sound came forth.

"Beep, chatter, beep, chatter." The beeping he could have ignored if it sounded alone, but that mixed with the chatter he could not. He seemed to be able to understand most of what was being said. This puzzled him. Still they were talking in whispers and rather fast for him. Turles couldn't stand anymore.

"SHUT IT!" was finally expelled from him feeling raspy and rough in his throat. Those two words burned his lungs as if they hadn't been forced to such work in a very long time. Plus he had tried to yell them but had come out as a whisper. _What's going on?_ His thoughts raced to the memory of the haul failure, the loss of air, and then the blackness. All was still black.

Of course he had yet to open his eyes. Fear of what lay beyond the lids kept him from opening them. Plus the fact that it hurt a lot and that keeping them shut helped ease the pain. So he laid there willing the pain in both chest and throat to subside. Only then did he notice the other aches his body was producing. He could barely think of anything else, save for the other life forms surrounding him.

Turles suspected there were four; two male and two female. Saiyan instincts really came in handy when sight was not an option. From the chatter he deciphered the pitch and tone by listening to the chatter, even if they were whispering. And though the room had a hint of cleaners he could smell each scent they gave off. The two females were to his right, a male at his feet, and the other male to his left.

"Beep, beep, beep, beep." _Now the chatter stops._ So caught up in his own thoughts he missed his own heart beat changing the tempo of the beeps and thus gaining the notice of the others. The silence was broken by a soft, female voice saying, "Well, he's awake."

Turles snapped his eyes open in understanding and was nearly blinded by the harsh light. He closed them just as quickly. He tried again but slowly this time. The light didn't hurt and the first thing he saw was one of the females.

He was shocked by the pull not only on his groin but also on his heart as well. He hadn't had much contact, other than casual sex, with women so an attraction by emotion was never experienced before. Sure she resembled a Saiyan female with the common black hair and eyes, but to him she was gorgeous. He never thought he would like the plain Saiyan look, instead thinking he would be attracted to the exotic blues, purples, and reds. Now he didn't care.

He looked her over with just his eyes. Turles thought she was everything a Saiyan mate should be: not too tall, hips rounded just enough to bear his children, waist dipped in for a slight hourglass look, flat stomach, breasts full and uplifted, shoulders sturdy, and of course he couldn't see her rear but he was sure it was just as Saiyan-like. The one feature he would enjoy looking at all the time was her lovely face. This is what set her apart from the plain Saiyan girls. Hers was soft and gentle with a sweetness that some women back home lacked and would never admit to ever dreaming of wanting. He REALLY liked that about her already. He also was turned on by her, but couldn't do a anything about it; he was restrained.

He was forced to move his eyes away from her and look at what held him down. He was encased in a pod like contraption. He tried to move but this caused his body to rebel and fire spread through it. Never had he felt this way. The last broken bone he had was an arm and he had been 12. And at that age the few days it took to heal were the worst; no play or fight time. The good thing was that the arm had healed and was better than before. So thinking of the positive end result of the current pain helped ease said pain.

Then thoughts of what caused the pain made him close his eyes with a small groan. _The attack. Thought I was sure to die. Almost did, too._ _Oh no, please, _he thought while groaning again. _Please have not let Kakarot hear my goodbye._ Turles knew Kakarot would not have broken her promise, but in those few minutes when his pod was going down his heart had to have stopped. The thought of her life and that of her child's ending on account of his careless mind whisper had him groaning again. _She never goes back on a promise. _He was grasping at straws and breathes, anything to help ease the pain in his heart at the thought of her dying because of him.

But the rough pulling in of air was just causing him pain and soon he was coughing uncontrollably. A soft hand was on his cheek and a calm, soothing voice was speaking to him, "calmly, calmly. Take shallow breaths." He began to take slow, steady breaths and began to relax. Thus his lungs were set free from pain. Turles realized it was not from understanding the words, because that should freak him out, but it was by the tone she used. It was vaguely like what he remembered his mother using to help ease his pains as a child.

Again he opened his eyes but this time rested only a little on his dark beauty. He gave his stiff neck a move to look at who else was in the room, probably gawking at him. There was the other female. She had blue hair and blue eyes, which startled Turles. Back home colored hair was rare and exotic but was generally bred in hybrids. But it was the startling Royal family blue eyes on a woman. Saiyans of Royal birth were the only ones to inherit that trait, more often than not in the males; The Queen was an exception to that rule but not other Saiyans (why? you ask cause I said so ;P and she's a royal).

Still Turles looked her over, more quickly than his former appraisal. She was bustier and her hips larger but not at all unappealing. She just didn't compare to his woman. He smirked inside and thought that sounded nice.

Turles moved to the male standing at the foot of his container. And what he saw shocked him more than his mating thoughts. There standing arms crossed and a scowl on his face was a Namekian warrior. Turles had never personally gone up against the race but school and military training went into great detail about them. According to Saiyan history when first looking for a permanent planet to live the Saiyans had landed on a life sustaining world inhabited by green scaly males. And typical of Saiyans they began to purge. Two days into the "eviction" process the sky turned black and seconds later cleared. With the clear skies came the warriors that previously were not present and were not suppose to be there.

The typical first day of a purge is a survey. This was conducted to determine if the world was worth aligning with, or just purging completely and selling. The list of questions for alignment qualifications are thus: is the technology advanced enough, is the race a good stock for slave trade, how is the food, and does it have natives that may be compatible to mate with the Saiyan race?

The Namekian survey showed that the population was made up of an asexual race consisting of only males; yeah ALL males. The food was ghastly and there was hardly any vegetation. There was no technology what so ever. That left the slave trade; which this was race was determined to best put to use. Within this race each had a specific role. They had healers, elders, bearers, growers, and younglings. Each would be of use to someone in the galaxy. But No warriors had been among them. So when suddenly there they were it was a surprise.

As the story goes the Saiyan warriors were no match for the new arrivals. Unlike the Saiyans the Namekians were merciful and let the Saiyans leave, alive. It was told to teach children that each had to strive to be better than any past warriors and that no species was our equal. It also taught that the Namekian world was off limits to settle. The Namekians were somewhat admired for their strength by many Saiyans for being able to keep them out. Thus the world would be considered allies and under the Saiyan Empire's protection, even without a treaty being signed.

Other classes of history and anatomy of enemies, allies and other creatures showed the differences in the green statuses. The warrior was the most distinguished; taller, slimmer, muscular, longer antennas, less pink patches of skin, protective to the point of aggressive, and fearless. Thus why Turles knew this male was a warrior and in acknowledgement curled his lip in a nasty snarl. The Namekian did likewise. _Obviously he knows or speculates what I am._

Then a little, old, mustached man literally popped in front of Turles view. His hair was a softer blue than the females but Turles could tell they were related. The old man's mouth seemed to be deciding if it wanted to keep the smoking stick in it or not. And when he spoke a puff of smoke escaped and caused Turles to go into another coughing fit. His eyes also began to burn as he thought _what was that?_ Smoking was not part of the Saiyan culture. It was deemed bad because it was a deterrent to one's health and growth of strength, so Turles was not used to it. Even with the pain Turles wondered how the stick had not even fallen out as the man had said, "fascinating."

And of course the coughing made the rest of his body hurt again. The old man was pushed away with a reprimand. As the coughing subsided Turles tried to actually take in a damage detail of his body. He got to his chest when the Namekian spoke.

"I still think we should kill it before it can do any harm." He said it with anger and disgust.

Turles found it strange he could understand most of what was being said. He also noticed that the other occupants did not notice he understood them because they went right on talking about him as if he weren't there. _I will use this as an advantage to learn more about these people. And how I ended up here… alive. Wasn't I headed for a dead planet?_

"What harm can a hurt man do," asked his beauty.

"It's what it will do AFTER it's all healed that I'm worried about." _Why does he keep calling me an it when I've got male parts and I'm pretty sure he doesn't. Technically he's an it not me._

"We don't know anything about him; he could be on our side." Turles wanted to nod in agreement but if he did then they would see he understood them.

"I highly doubt that." The Namekian retorted.

"I'm telling you, Piccolo, he's not going to be able to move with all those casts or with all the tranquilizers I gave him." _ So the Namekian is named Piccolo._

"Aren't tranquilizers suppose to keep it sedated, Bulma," he said sarcastically, "it's awake now." But the blue haired woman named Bulma kept talking as if Piccolo hadn't spoken.

"Plus the walls are reinforced like prison walls. And by the time he heals we can determine if he is a threat or not."

"We can learn about him," said the beauty.

"Women." Piccolo threw his hands into the air as he continued, "you don't seem to understand how dangerous he can be." A long green finger was pointed at Turles' chest. But even with a threat all Turles thought was _finally I get respect for my sex. _"His power level was higher than any other I have come up against." _Was? Does that mean it dropped? Not possible,_ thought Turles. Then he remembered and thought, _oh yes I had no air for a little bit and probably was dead for a bit; that would cause my ki to drop._ _It will only get stronger now that I'm damaged and healing. Note to self: keep it lowered if green bean can detect with no scouter. He may prove to be dangerous to my health after all._

"Higher than yours," asked beauty? _I really need to know her name._

"Well…no. that's not the point Chi-Chi." _Ahh so her name is Chi-Chi. Nice._

"Yes it is. All you are trying to do is get rid of him because you're afraid of his power level being higher than yours." Turles was surprised a seemingly fragile woman talking in such a manner to a powerful warrior. It was Saiyan-like and he smirked. _I like that._

"…" was the Namekians answer.

"Then go train to get stronger than him," Bulma said. "It will be months before he's able to sit up let alone walk and fight." _Months?_ Turles wanted to laugh. Little did they know Saiyans heal fast and the months Bulma predicted will actually be weeks, two at the most._ If only I could find out the extent of my injuries then I would know for sure._ He was pulled out of his thought by Piccolo speaking.

"Is the GR working?" _GR, what is that?_

"Yes," Bulma replied. So Piccolo turned and walked out. Then the woman turned to her father and asked, "What do you think about us saving him?"

The old man just looked at Turles with an interested stare and responded, " I could care less what you do with him, and I just want a good look at him. Think my first alien." Both women looked at each other in astonishment and the back at him, then burst out laughing.

"Dad," Bulma said in between laughs, "Piccolo is also one and you've seen him around for years." The old man now looked astonished. Turles was astonished also that they knew what a Namekian was and tolerated him. _Where am I that a Namekian is an ally to these people?_

"Really, Piccolo? Never would have guessed it." And the girls laughed harder. He left with the sound of their giggles at his back.

"Bulma, sometimes I wonder about your dad. I mean he's a genius and all but he's not all there." Chi-Chi was pointing to her head when she said the last part. She was still smiling and if Turles were standing his knees would be weak. That smile affected him so.

"I know, right? Makes me wonder too." There was a little silence as both women calmed from giggling. Then as one they looked at him as if finally remembering he was there. Turles smiled back at them.

"Do you think he understands us" asked Chi-Chi?

"He's probably responding to our gaiety. I would take it as a good sign that he is friendly." _You have no idea_ he thought. Of course he was friendly, but he was also dangerous as the Namekian said.

"But talking to him would be useful."

"No doubt, but until we can figure out what he speaks and also understand it we'll just have to use hand gestures." They lapsed into silence and basically just stared at him. Which usually wouldn't bother him but his beauty, Chi-Chi, was making a piece of his anatomy swell as much as it could in the constrains of his cast.

Turles felt a little confused as to why he had this instant attraction to this female. He had no idea of what race or origin she was, but he wanted her. Usually an instant arousal was specifically for ones mate and only after being mated. It was said to have to do with the formation of a mate bond, but not to be confused with a heart bond. This is a rare bond that joins the two mates completely and forever. This bond has to be from both sides and witnessed by others to be truly historical. Many mates had tried to achieve this but one or two things usually are missing to make it complete. There are three distinct traits to a heart bond: children, telepathy, and love.

Turles himself had only witnessed a true heart bond once; the King and Queen. Theirs above all other bonds had all the traits, including the most elusive one: love. The Saiyans have the capacity to love greatly but they tend to spread it around too much. Not all Saiyans loved their mates but only wanted them around for making food or to have sex with. This sharing of the love, as it can be called, made it uncommon for a Saiyan couple to have more than two children together. This may sound odd but a male did not always have a child with just one female but with possibly three or four. This was normal behavior for Saiyan males.

But in recent times more females would not stand for her male to be with any other female but her. So the common practice of multiply mates was decreasing. The decrease in females being born also was a factor in one male per one female ratio to increase. And still couples usually strived for no more than two children. Turles thought of his father and the many children he had. _If not for Goten I would believe my parents had had a heart bond. _But Goten had been born after his mother had died.

It was after his little brother was brought into the home that Turles disbelieved in his parents bond. But it had been hard to give up. They had all the traits. Turles had seen the way his parents would look at each other all gooey eyed and they seemed to be able to talk without actually talking. Mom would know the minute dad would get home. She used to run to the door to greet him. When he was hungry she would have a snack waiting for him. When he was frustrated she would be there to challenge him to a spar or lead him to the bedroom. But being that Turles mom was a twin herself maybe gave her the ability to use telepathy on everyone she loved.

Telepathy was not unheard of by the Saiyans. They had conquered or allied with races that had this ability since birth and so were aware of it. Turles was very close to the subject since he had a twin and shared that telepathic ability with his sister. Other Saiyans did not unless they had a heart bond. Scientists have been curious as to why certain races have telepathy and experiments abound after said race has been discovered. They would have had a field day with Turles and Kakarot if not for their fathers quick thinking in telling people that the twins were in fact not twins, but only siblings. _But now the whole planet knows we were in fact twins. I wonder if the science division will test her blood now._ He laughed at what they would find. Or maybe what they won't find, after all Bardock was the lead scientist and had a penchant to hide facts about his own family.

Turles always had a feeling that when he bonded it would be a heart bond. Being so in touch with his self due to the relationship he had with Kakarot it seemed logical. The woman he mated with would end up being forever. And now here he was half heart bonding to an unknown female of unknown origin. What he didn't know was if it would be returned. He figured he would get over it soon and find someone else eventually if she didn't feel the same. _Though the feeling is still there, I can feel it growing._

He had a while to think about it. _Heck I have a few weeks to heal. Perhaps I will use my time here to get to know her._ He smiled to himself. _Yes I won't be bad at all but rather I will be like Kakarot's Goku all carefree and open._ And as soon as he had the thought that for a new planet and a new life it was decided he would have a new name; Goku Son.

_And apparently a new language. It did sound familiar but from where?_ He was sure he only knew two languages; his native Saiyan and the one he was learning while on route to planet Diamond. Then he remembered as a picture of Kakarot popped into his head, but only she was her six year old self and not her grown up self. She was laughing at him as he tried to learn the new language.

Being that she was a daughter of a Son Kakarot was given the privilege to learn the language that only Son's females knew. The language was brought back by an ancestor when he returned from an off world mission. He taught it only to his daughter, of which he had three. The language had something to do with a prophecy the twins would learn about later when their mother lay dying.

So wanting to use the new language more Kakarot had taught Turles. Of course that was forbidden by Son elders, but the children didn't care. He had been slow to learn and was never very good at the speaking part, but was he ever good at the writing. _I always was skilled more with my hands than my tongue, _he thought. Kakarot would talk and he would dictate to paper. That always irked Kakarot that he had such girly penmanship and she had terrible penmanship. They used the language as a means to talk in front of their father without him knowing what they were saying. It worked great when he tried to force them to not use telepathy.

The twins had ended up breaking a lot of rules. Later it was realized that the Son elders would have punished Kakarot terribly if they had found out a male Son had knowledge of the language. But Turles mentally thanked Kakarot's foresight to be the first to break a long tradition because now he knew Chi-Chi's language. _I am a little rusty bur all I need is a practice and I will be fluent in it again._

_Best introduce myself and break the ice. _So he began in Saiyan saying, "hello. I am Goku Son." Both women looked at him in surprise, but they stayed silent. He continued, "I mean you no harm." And he meant that, too. _Ok so nether knows Saiyan, on to the next. _He tried the Diamond language using the same phrases. Still no recollection and shocked expressions.

So he tried the Son language and both woman took a step back gasping in surprise. _Ok so they got it that time. But that is strange. How do they know the secret language? Is this where it came from? And how did the old Son learn it?_ So many questions but for now he had to concentrate on the women. He could hear their breathing change from calm to anxious. Also their heart rates went up.

Bulma grabbed a pair of scissors off the table behind her and pointed them at Turles. He just quirked an eyebrow at her. She asked slowly, "how do you know our language? An old, very old, version but ours none the less?" _Old? Bad? I was doing my best to get it right. She's the one that sounds odd, not me._

Turles didn't answer her because Chi-Chi began to talk, "old Bulma, how so? I understood him just fine." _So I had said it right. Then what is Bulma talking about._

"Well yes of course, but his is old English. People don't speak like that unless they go to those renaissance fairs." (ok so I have no idea how to speak let alone write old English so from now on it will just be modern English)

"So," asked Chi-Chi confused?

"So? So what if Piccolo was right and he is here to conquer us and only learned English to threaten us?" Bulma was still pointing the sharp looking scissors at Turles face and being unable to defend him didn't like the weapon much. If he could move he would have grabbed them out of her hand. He did notice they were shaking a little from her nerves.

"But old English? Don't you think he would have learned the new version before he came to destroy us?" Chi-Chi sounded unconvinced of his evilness.

"…" was Bulma's response.

Turles was tired of waiting for them to decide if knowing that he knew their language was good or bad. _Only one way to show them I'm good_. He spoke again, "hand writing." He nudged his head to the pod and it made a tap tap sound where his right hand was located. This he realized was not as badly injured as the rest of him.

"I think he wants to write something."

"But his arm…" Bulma gestured with the scissors but didn't finish what she was going to say.

"Just get some paper," Chi-Chi said rolling her eyes. "That one was fine only a little bruised. You just were afraid it could do damage and so bandaged it. We need to learn to trust." _Even commanding as a Saiyan woman. But is that a good thing?_

With a huff Bulma handed Chi-Chi the scissors and turned back to the table behind them. While she looked for paper Chi-Chi moved forward to Turles side. She had her arms up in an offensive manner and Turles lifted an eyebrow in surprise. _Of course she had no idea I won't hurt her._ She pushed a few buttons on the side of the pod and whoosh he was free. Ok so only his right arm was free but it was enough to feel air on his skin.

Chi-Chi began cutting Turles out and he noticed the scissors tremble in her hands. _Is she really that scared of me? _Of course he was pointedly staring at her which was a little rude and unnerving. He couldn't help it; all he wanted to do was stare at her.

He could feel the bindings coming loose as she neared his shoulder. Turles felt her hand tense on his arm and looked at her face. She had her eyes held tightly closed and her head turned slightly away. _Didn't she know that showed off her lovely neck even more? _He gently lifted his hand and stroked her cheek. Then they were staring at each other; her eyes wide in surprise and his warm in longing. He smiled at her and she lost her footing.

The moment was broken by Bulma saying, "Alright if he wants to write to communicate so be it." And with that she forced a quill into his hand. But it was one he had never seen before. _How am I suppose to write with no ink? _He gave the woman a sour look while twiddling with the quill (so Saiyans are pretty advanced but some technology is still lost to them, that's why they seek it out).

"Oh for goodness sakes. It's a pen and it already has ink in it. Neanderthal." Bulma took the pen and wrote 'idiot' on the paper. His look of surprise so startled the girls they both laughed. But Turles paid them no mind has was focused on the 'pen' as Bulma had called it. He began to draw circles on his paper to experiment and see if indeed it wouldn't need more ink. More lines and spirals joined the circles on the paper.

"Just write," Bulma boomed as she rolled her eyes. Turles thought he heard her mutter something about stupid man under her breath.

"Bulma…" Chi-Chi chided.

Turles stopped his doodling, deciding that it would take a lot for the ink to dissolve or run out. He began to write. He decided he like this 'pen' device and how well he could write with it. _ I may take few home with me. That is if I ever make it home?_

"My name is Goku Son," he began. " I was traveling on an ally mission when my pod was attacked. I thought I would be left for dead." He turned the paper towards them and let them read it, all the while hoping they could. But by their faces the obviously couldn't. They looked puzzled.

"Um… pod?" Bulma said at last. While Chi-Chi said, "Son?" they had asked the words at the same time. Turles was thinking, _so they do understand. _The two woman looked at each other and simultaneously asked the other, "does that mean something?"

Turles wanted to go on but apparently the fact that they had spoken at the same time was funny and the two were giggling. He coughed to gain their attention. It did but only for his beauty. Bulma also stopped laughing due to the starring contest Turles was having with Chi-Chi.

"Explain pod," Bulma asked. She handed the sheet back expertly breaking the contest.

"My space pod? It is a personal space ship capable of travel 10 times faster than a 10 class cruiser." He wrote to mirror his thoughts.

"So where is it?" Bulma asked after reading and seeming to understand what it said. Chi-Chi was little confused by her look. The question had been directed at Chi-Chi after all.

"Did you not find me in it? With my injuries I'm surprised I'm not still stuck in it." Turles had grabbed a new leaf of paper to ask that.

"Chi-Chi?"

"Dad didn't say anything about a spaceship. He just showed up at our house bearing a injured tailed man. Then we brought him straight here."

"Well ask him where or how he found him." Bulma sounded annoyed pointing at Turles.

"Fine!" Chi-Chi sort of stomped over to the door and after taking a deep breath she yelled, "DAD!"

Turles winced tough he was smiling. His sensitive hearing slightly damaged but he was glad she even yelled like a Saiyan female. _Maybe I'm on a long forgotten settlement?_ He shook that thought off because no planet was EVER forgotten. But then the room began to shake as loud footsteps were heard from outside. A very large man squeezed himself into the room and made it seem tiny. The size of the man made Turles reconsider his first thought. He was used to huge Saiyan males like Nappa, but this man was a giant compared to them. _And this is her dad?_

"Yes, Chi-Chi?" the big ox asked. His voice was gentle and not at all what you would expect from a man his size.

"Where did you find this man?" she asked pointing at Turles; who in turn gave a little wave with his free arm. The ox returned it with a little smile. _Ok scratch him being of Saiyan descent, he is way too gentle to be one._

"Out in the desert."

"In…?" the tone was one a mother would use in asking a small child a question.

His response was told with a small voice and a guilty lowering of his head, "in a weird sort of can. It was all scrunched up and broken."

"Could you find it again Ox King?" _the man's name is really Ox and here I was just calling him like I saw it. The woman must take after her mother, thank goodness._ Turles had to stop his train of thought because it was gearing towards images of a woman Chi-Chi size giving birth to a huge child that the Ox King must have been. _TMI_ (Too Much Imagery) thought Turles.

"I suppose so." The Ox scratched his beard. "But why, it's useless now?"

It looked like Bulma didn't want to answer, especially in front of Turles. It was after all his pod they were talking about. But finally she said, "I have my reasons."

The Ox King shrugged his massive shoulders and said, "Ok." With that he turned and the floor shook again as he walked out. Both woman turned back to look at Turles.

"Piccolo was right, he's not from here." Bulma only nodded toward Turles this time. _So Namekian knows what I am, an alien. But does he know for sure what origin?_

_Now comes the hysterics, _he thought. It always happened when Saiyans landed on a new planet and the purging process began. The inhabitants would realize who they were and begin screaming while pointing and trying to run. Of course Turles had never experienced this but heard it from his male relatives who had.

But none came. Both woman were staring at him in wonder. "Alien," they both said, only one said it in amazement and the other in shock. _Hadn't they just laughed at the old man for making the same statement? Haven't they known the Namekian long enough to not be new to the idea of an alien in their midst?_

He nodded to accept the term. All this excitement was draining and he felt tired all of a sudden. He was going to close his eyes for only a little but as he was lowering his lids Chi-Chi moved close to him saying, "It's strange but for the tail he could pass for one of us."

Turles was wide awake again in a panic. _OMG I can't tell if it's still there. _Not being able to move any of his lower body he couldn't tell. He did feel the stroking movement on his arm and the soothing voice saying, "it's still there."

He looked into her eyes to see if she was lying but they held no deception. _How could she know how much a tail means to a Saiyan? If she had she would be telling me it was removed due to damage, but really for safety reasons. Just another thing to hide from her._

Now calm again he felt tired once again. _Why do I feel like this suddenly?_ The last thing he saw before closing his eyes was his black beauty, Chi-Chi, smiling at him. The last thought was how good his dreams would be.

Author's note: thank you to all who have waited so patiently for m to update. Next chapter will be mostly Chi-Chi POV on Turles. Review so I still know people like this.


	5. Chapter 5: Alien among Us

Chapter 5:

Alien among Us

The man was falling asleep and soon began snoring softly. _Almost like a kittens purring _thought Chi-Chi. Bulma had left while mumbling about not wanting to watch aliens sleep. Chi-Chi had volunteered to sit at his side. Bulma had put the tranquilizer drip on a timer and that's why the man had fallen to sleep. They didn't know how long he would be out but Chi-Chi wanted to be here when he did wake up again.

She didn't know why but he moved her like no man had before. She was considered the ice Queen and the warrior Princess. As the daughter of the Ox King she had learned from an early age how to use martial arts as both an art form and as a defense. And because of her training she was stronger than most boys and so not many tried to court her. The few that did ended up leaving because they couldn't take her being so independent.

So when she turned 17 only two days before this man entered her life she had made a pledge to only accept a man and not a boy into her heart. Then her dad came home carrying a near dead man in his arms. True at first she was horrified at his injuries. It was when, taking inventory of injuries that his tail wrapped itself around her wrist that she felt a flutter in her belly. The tail seemed to be the only part of him that could move involuntarily and seemed to be unharmed. Yes blood had been on it but that was from other injuries. Blood was everywhere on him.

That's when Chi-Chi ordered her father to get the jet copter ready and they took off Bulma's. Chi-Chi didn't want him to die. Only from that brief touch she wanted a man for the first time and she didn't even know if he'd survive. Or even who he was.

She had phoned Bulma on route to explaining the situation. When Ox landed the copter close to Capsule Corp (CC) medics were waiting. They rushed the man off to surgery and Chi-Chi waited and worried. The entire 15 hours she sat and waited. It was Bulma who came out to let Chi-Chi know how the man was.

"He's stable," Bulma began. "Many of his external injuries were minor; cuts and bruises mostly. It was the internal ones we were worried about; six broken ribs pushing into his lungs, left arm broken in three places, hip out of place, left leg…" she trailed off realizing the list was making Chi-Chi pale. Bulma placed an arm around her unsteady friend and repeated, "He is stable. We were able to fix up everything. He may not wake up for a week or so because of the meds we gave him. And he'll be in a body capsule for a few months to make sure movement is restricted, but he'll live." She gave Chi-Chi a weak smile.

Chi-Chi remembered that Bulma had been in the surgery room helping and probably was just as tired as she was. "Thank you, Bulma," she said. And again Bulma smiled.

"He seemed pretty important to you, so what could I do but help him." She paused, thinking, then said, "I am curious as to who he is and how you meet him. I've never seen you like this over a man before."

Chi-Chi blushed. "I've not meet him before. This morning was the first I've seen of him. I just didn't want to see him die." Bulma had lead them to a sitting area while they talked and both ladies sat heavily into plush arm chairs.

"Right? Well I am still curious about him. To be able to sustain the damage he went through is one thing but to actually survive is another. We kept having interrupts during the surgery. First he has a tail and it had a mind of its own. It kept trying to hinder our work by moving all over the place. We had to call in an orderly just to hold the thing down." Bulma chuckled remembering and now realizing how funny it sounded. Chi-Chi was thinking _maybe I should have been in there it seemed to still for me._

"Second time we got interrupted was when he suddenly woke up. We had to sedate him three times the normal amount. We had just gotten the IV into him when he woke up so we gave him a sedative and nothing happened; he was still thrashing about. We gave him some more and still he fought us. Finally we upped the dose to what would knock out an elephant and he just collapsed. At first we thought he had died on us but the heart monitor was still beeping away. Third we didn't have blood to give him. He had lost a lot by the time we got him and after a quick test he didn't match any blood type on file. It was a good thing the universal plasma is now in production; he seems to be doing fine with that. And finally Piccolo showed up unexpectedly when the patient suddenly awoke."

"Piccolo? Why? He hasn't shown himself since I beat him in the tourney," but mentally she added _at least not to anyone but me._

"He didn't say. H just stood there the ENTIRE time we were working on him. You know his normal arms crossed legs apart and a scowl on his face." Both women giggled because they knew the look very well.

Since that tourney two years ago when a 15 year old Chi-Chi had kicked the snot out of the would be world ruler neither of them found him very scary. They both knew it was a mask, a façade he wears to keep people away. His defeat to a mere slip of a girl changed him in little ways and he had been different ever since.

Chi-Chi never told Bulma that she has been in touch with Piccolo and actually training with him. It happened only the day after his defeat. He showed up at her house to challenge her again. She had laughed at him and then asked him to come in and he did. Over a cup of tea for her and just a cup of water for him they talked. She learned things about him that she was sure no one else would ever know. He told her of his father and an obscure uncle, you could say. He told her how at one time his father and his uncle had actually been one and the same Namekian; half good and half bad. During 'the split' they became two separate Namekians. One became the father, a vicious and powerful tyrant bent on world domination, also known as King Piccolo. The other became the uncle, a gentle but powerful guardian bent on world salvation, better known as Kami.

Chi-Chi found out Piccolo was actually only five human years when they fought, but in Namekian years he had been 20. He had been born the moment of his father's death by a turtle hermit named Roshi. That was something both intriguing and disgusting to Chi-Chi. To be born Namekians basically clone themselves giving their memory, emotions, and DNA to an egg and then spit it out of their mouths. This helps to keep and enrich the history of the family lines. But in Piccolo Jr.'s case it tainted his life. The memories given to him were vague and filled with the hate his father bore towards anything not Namekian. Even that was tainted for Piccolo had even hated his uncle.

It was losing to a girl, a human girl, who fought with all her heart for a world she loved that made piccolo seek out his uncle for the truth. Kami just didn't tell him the truth of 'the split' but he showed his own memories of the event. Kami had shown how the inner battle between the good and bad within was destroying the Namekian. But to have destroyed the good would have killed the older Piccolo and thus he had forced 'the split.' Kami showed how the fight after 'the split' went down. Piccolo cowardly attack Kami from behind because he knew they were matched in power and a battle would be too long. Kami showed how the attack left him permanently injured and having to use a cane to aid the limp he always favors. Kami also showed his memory of his brother's death by Roshi and the final act of an egg being spit out before final breath.

Piccolo had never known who had killed his father he had just known a deep hatred for the person who had. After reflection he wanted to meet the man who was stronger than his father and perhaps learn from him. Piccolo had told Chi-Chi he wanted to train not to defeat her but to show he was better than a girl. So their weekly training began. He taught her to fly and read ki. She still found reading ki difficult but flying was easy and she relished in the enjoyment of the wind in her face. She taught him to smile and he even laughed once.

She looked forward to their trainings. Now he is stronger than her and steadily getting even stronger. He always talked of the next tourney where he could prove to the world he was the strongest, at least stronger than a girl, and was now out to protect the world not conquer it. One of the things Kami had shown Piccolo was his job as the guardian of Earth and Piccolo had decided he would help his uncle.

And since Piccolo now wanted to be a protector of the Earth, Chi-Chi could have some personal time and meet a man. _I wonder why that man that seemed to draw Piccolo's attention_ she thought. But her thoughts were interrupted by the green man himself walking into the living room. Bulma had been rambling on about one thing after another while Chi-Chi had been remembering her green friend, but when the man sat in a chair Bulma stopped talking. Chi-Chi laughed at her female friend's astonished face.

"Hello Piccolo," Chi-Chi said. He just nodded to confirm he heard and to say hello. He was a man of few words. It was his way and it was one thing Chi-Chi didn't chance to change because at least he now acknowledged her.

"Tired from standing all day by an injured man's side," she began. "One would think you cared." She finished but then had a thought _or one that you had beaten to a pulp. _She looked at Piccolo but didn't see any signs that he had been in a fight. _Of course he could have gotten a sensu bean from Korin._ Then he spoke, well ok it was a sound but he began anyway.

"Humph. How can one care for something so vile." Chi-Chi gave him a one eyebrow raise as if questioning his choice of words or that he had said that. _Wasn't he himself considered vile at one time. _She giggled in thought _takes one to know one I guess._

Bulma seemed to come out of her shocked stupor as she spoke, "he wasn't there for support. It seemed he was there as a watch dog to protect. You didn't move the entire time we worked and then you followed us as we moved the man to a room."

"It had to be watched. I had to be prepared to kill it." He stated it so matter of factly Chi-Chi was shocked.

"Why," she asked. It had been a while since she had heard him speak this way.

"It is just dangerous, trust me." And she did, but she couldn't forget those few moments of tenderness she had felt when his tail had touched her.

"Why should we trust you?" asked Bulma, who did still not understand the calmness between the two rivals.

"Bulma…um…I've been training with Piccolo since after the tourney."

"Oh…what!" she all but yelled it.

"We had a long talk and he is now on our side. He wants to help protect earth not destroy it."

"Oh. Did that last kick to his head knock a few screws loose or fastened them?" Chi-Chi gave Bulma a don't start with me look. Bulma held up her hands and said, "Ok…ok I trust you."

"So I'll go kill it now." With saying this Piccolo had gotten up and was walking out of the room in the direction of the patient's whereabouts.

"NO!" yelled both woman in fear; one from not being able to get to know him intimately and the other scientifically. Piccolo winced from the volume their scream created.

"What's all the yelling about," asked an old man. It was Bulma's genius dad.

"Piccolo wants to kill a man who is defenseless."

"Oh? What man?"

"The one lying in a guest chamber in the west wing," responded Bulma.

"Not a man, an alien. One that I'm going to kill now." he began to stride off again.

"NO!" from all three others in the room. But this time Piccolo, with a wince, kept walking and the others ran to keep up with him.

Piccolo was the first to reach the door but it was Chi-Chi who pushed her way in first. She placed herself in a defensive stance to protect the injured man.

"Chi-Chi," Piccolo's voice held warning and a firmness behind it that he only used when in a fight. _Interesting_, she thought, _even Piccolo would not attack a downed man if he had the chance. I wonder if he knows this man._

"We will wait until he awakens to find out if he's a threat or not." Her voice also carried a hardness to it that spoke of unrelenting authority. As the two warriors faced off the two geniuses came into the room.

"Fascinating," Dr. Briefs said.

Bulma went to the monitor to check the readings and after being satisfied the man was doing fine she walked to stand between the two fighters. "Alright you two not in here," she said putting her hands up shoulder height to try to push them apart; if need be. Even if she tried it would not work because they would plow right throw her without hesitation or much strength for Bulma knew she was extremely weaker than them. But she had to at least try to keep the peace.

"He started it by threatening a severely injured and unarmed man."

"You would understand if you knew what I knew but since you know nothing you don't know what I do." Strangely both Bulma and Chi-Chi knew what he meant but still didn't understand his open hostility to the man. Especially Chi-Chi who thought Piccolo was past that part of his life.

Then they heard it, the man's voice shout what sounded like "shuck out!" All of them had said the following in unison.

"Oh my," said Chi-Chi. His voice had been hoarse and a little weak but it had made her knees quiver a bit from the timber it promised. Her heart had also leapt in a new odd rhythm she had never felt before.

"What," Bulma had questioned upon hearing it. "He shouldn't be awake yet." She was wondering why the tranquilizer wasn't working and desperately wanted to move closer to check the drop. A green hand on her arm restrained her and she had to wait to see what happened.

"Shit," muttered Piccolo. He had hoped he could have killed it cleanly while it slept and at least give it a quick and painless death but now he had to wait. Now he had to make sure the others in the room would be protected. He just wished Chi-Chi hadn't moved so far into the room and close to the thing on the bed. At least he had stopped Bulma from getting too close.

"Fascinating," stated Dr. Briefs. He was just plain fascinated by the man.

"The sedatives are not working," Bulma whispered. "They should be. I need to check the line."

"I could have told you they would not work long on it." Piccolo had responded in a same volume.

"How much did you give him," Chi-Chi asked?

"Enough to knock out a large horse. It's set to give a dose every twelve hours, but I may have to recalibrate it to be shorter if his body can overcome the effects so rapidly." Bulma was being to look as fascinated as her father.

"Well, he's awake" stated Chi-Chi. And each occupant may have jumped a little when the man's eyes suddenly snapped open and then as quickly closed. He also groaned he slowly opened his eyes again and stared straight at Chi-Chi.

She in turn took a sharp breath. His eyes were as black as coal and though he was drugged they were clear and focused. She felt his stare and she swallowed heavily. No man, besides Piccolo who wasn't even human, had the nerve to look so openly at her. His eyes began to travel over her body examining ALL of her and Chi-Chi felt her belly flutter as the black eyes rested on her most intimate places. She stood still as he took his time to look and she was nervous as to what he thought. _Does he find my not to his liking, _she thought. But when his eyes once again met hers she saw the desire and curiosity there. Then a depressing thought invaded her, _wait until he sees Bulma and he will soon forget me. They always did once she was around_.

When he did look away Chi-Chi convinced herself she saw a look of longing and regret to look away in his eyes. He didn't turn to look at who else was in the room but rather down at himself. Soon he was trying to draw in air to fast and too strong for his bruised and broken ribs. He began to cough uncontrollably and without thinking Chi-Chi stepped up to him and placed a hand on his cheek. Speaking softly to him she said, "Calmly. Calmly. Take shallow breaths." And as if understanding or by her tone he calmed and his coughing ceased.

When he again opened his eyes they rested on her face for a second and then looked away. In that mere second she had felt a connection to this strange man with a tail.

He looked at Bulma and also took in her form but his eyes did not devour her like most men's did. His eyes had made a quick scan up and down in inspection but that was all. Chi-Chi didn't realize she had been holding her breath until she had let it out. She had thought for sure he would be entranced by Bulma's exotic beauty but he wasn't. Chi-Chi smiled smugly to herself.

Then his eyes moved and rested on Piccolo. A look of surprise and shock showed clearly on his face. Chi-Chi wondered at that. Most people of Earth knew who and what Piccolo was why not this man? She was going to ask but a snarl coming for Piccolo made her stop. And then the man on the bed was also snarling. If it wasn't for Dr. Briefs sticking his head into the two men's staring contest Chi-Chi was sure she would have had to step in to stop any violence from happening.

He had said his most favorite word of the day, fascinating, and a plume of smoke from his lit cigarette wafted into the patients face. This caused the man to go into another fit of coughing. _Clearly not used to cigarettes._ She was about to help him calm down again but he seemed to control himself quickly this time. _Interesting? He learns or adapts quickly. Oh my here I am sizing him up as if I would another fighter. _But this is also how Chi-Chi wanted to approach men who wanted her. If they couldn't stand up to her scrutiny than they were unworthy to even try for her hand.

Piccolo interrupted her thoughts with, "I still think we should kill it before it can do any harm." Chi-Chi distinctly heard disgust from this statement. _What sort of monster have I created by making a villain a hero?_

"What can a hurt man do," she asked him.

"It's what it will do AFTER it's all healed that I'm worried about." _Why does Piccolo keep doing that; calling the man an it? It's as if Piccolo knows the man and what he's capable of. _This made Chi-Chi pause because if Piccolo knew the man and was acting this way then she had to take care also.

But she had to try so she said, "we don't know anything about him; he could be on our side." _Am I trying to convince him or myself?_

"I highly doubt that," he said sarcastically. Thank goodness for Bulma or Chi-Chi may have had to go back on her promise not to harm a friend. Piccolo was raining on her love parade and she didn't like it.

That thought made he stop. _Love? Isn't too early for that? I mean we haven't even been properly introduced._ So caught in her thoughts about love she missed a little of what Bulma was saying. What Chi-Chi did catch was, "with all the tranquilizers I gave him."

Piccolo had said something about those were supposed to keep people sedated or something along those lines. Chi-Chi was still not paying attention to the two people who were talking at once and she was still trying to come to terms with wanting this strange man to live.

Again she heard the tail end of something Bulma said and not wanting to lose a chance to keep the man safe and get to know him she blurted out, "we can learn about him."

"Women." Piccolo sounded exasperated, but Chi-Chi knew it was the tone he used when he was giving in or was thinking of giving in. but then he continued, "you don't seem to understand how dangerous he can be." _Finally he acknowledges the man as well a man. Maybe he's just jealous that this man is a man and Piccolo is in fact the 'it' himself._

Piccolo's next statement brought Chi-Chi out of her thoughts. "His power level was higher than any other I have ever come up against." Chi-Chi's eyebrows raised a little as she asked, "higher than yours?" _This was a new development. Piccolo would never admit such a thing unless it was important. _

"Well…no. That's not the point Chi-Chi." She caught the look and the tone of voice he used. He was embarrassed she had caught him trying to make a reason to take him out. She voiced her suspicions.

"Yes it is. All you are trying to do is get rid of him because you're afraid of his power level being higher than yours." Chi-Chi knew how to reach out to ki but she did rarely because it was difficult to do and did too often drained her energy. So she reached out and touched the patient's ki. It was nowhere near hers or Piccolo's. _Maybe the near death experience made it spike suddenly for a moment or two, and Piccolo just happened to pick up on it going so high. Yeah that could be it._ She noticed Piccolo had no response to her accusation. _Must be close to the mark than._

Bulma stepped in this time by stating, "Then go train to get stronger than him. It will be months before he's able to sit up let alone walk and fight." _Months to get to know him_ Chi-Chi thought.

"Is the GR working," Piccolo asked after a thoughtful, almost pouty looking, moment of contemplation. Chi-Chi was surprised. _How does he know about that, Bulma just finished it?_

Bulma being a genius had weird ideas that usually started from her having vivid daydreams. But the Gravity Room (GR) project was a dream of Chi-Chi's. She came to have their regular tea session and she began telling Bulma about the dream she had about a machine that could help you train by adding pressure. Bulma was inspired by the dream and told Chi-Chi she would build one just for that purpose. Of course Bulma ran with ideas that had Chi-Chi's head spinning with confusion. Bulma said she could make a fluctuation in the gravity in varying degrees to increase pressure, and thus build and tone muscle faster. Chi-Chi had laughed at the idea and told her friend it was impossible.

Bulma had taken the challenge and had proven Chi-Chi wrong with a working GR. Of course it had taken over a year and many explosions to complete it. Now the genius liked to rub it in that no challenge was beneath her skill. It was roughly the size of a football stadium and was set of the east wing of Capsule Corp (CC). Chi-Chi had been the first to use it and knew Piccolo would like to give it a try to test himself. _He may find it hard to handle, I certainly did._ Chi-Chi hadn't been able to get past 2x Earth's gravity before collapsing from exhaustion within an hour. It was an excellent work out facility. Chi-Chi hoped to be able to stand in 10x gravity by this time next year.

Bulma told Piccolo it was working in a simple, "yes" and Piccolo left right after that. Chi-Chi had a brief thought of following him but thought better of it. _He needs to blow off some steam. _

Bulma turned to her dad and asked how he felt about them saving the man. He responded in a bored tone with, "I could care less what you do with him, and I just want a good look at him. Think my first alien." Chi-Chi looked at Bulma, Bulma looked at Chi-Chi, and then both looked at the old genius. They burst out laughing from his ridiculous statement.

"Dad," Bulma said holding back laughter and not succeeding, "Piccolo is also one and you've seen him around for years." Dr. Briefs look astonished and this just made the girls giggle. His next statement had them laughing even harder. "Really Piccolo? Never would have guessed it." He left the laughing girls behind with the patient.

"Bulma, sometimes I wonder about your dad. I mean he's a genius and all but he's not all there." She pointed to her head to emphasis his brain.

"I know, right? Makes me wonder too." They giggled a little more and then they began to calm down. Both seemed to remember the man on the bed at the same time and looked at him. He smiled at them and Chi-Chi's knees did a little wobbly thingy. It was a new sensation for her. The day seemed too filled with them. _How could I forget he was there when he stirs me so?_

"Do you think he understands us" asked Chi-Chi? She didn't look away from that brilliant smile as she spoke.

"He's probably responding to our gaiety. I would take it as a good sign that he is friendly."

"But talking to him would be useful." What followed was Bulma suggesting hand gestures. But Chi-Chi thought that would get them nowhere but just in circles.

Then the man spoke. It was rough from his sore throat but none the less was nice to Chi-Chi's ears. First he spoke in what sounded like that sci-fi show _Star Trek's_ Klingon language. It was guttural and strong sounding. When this didn't seem to gain their attention he began again. This time it was in a smoother almost French fashion. Still this did not gain a response from the two women. He seemed to be frustrated that he couldn't talk to them.

Then he took a breath and began again. This time they understood him and both were shocked that English had come out of his mouth. Bulma had grabbed a pair of scissors and demanded he explain how he knew their language; an old version of it. Chi-Chi didn't know what she meant by old because she had understood exactly what he had said to them. She told Bulma this and wished she could tell Bulma to put the scissors down. But Chi-Chi conceded that Bulma needed all the help she could muster.

Chi-Chi was also considering his words. _His name is Goku Son and he meant us no harm. _That made Chi-Chi smile to herself. It made her happy he could speak but also he seemed to not want trouble. _So, Piccolo was worried for nothing._

Then he spoke again, "hand writing." There came a tap-tap from somewhere close to where his hand was. _His only unhurt body part…scratch that the other one is his tail. Can't forget that strange sight._

"I think he wants to write something," Chi-Chi suggested to Bulma. Now Bulma bulked and tried to argue but Chi-Chi did not want to deal with her friends worries right now. "Just get some paper." It had come out more forcefully than Chi-Chi intended but Bulma seemed to not notice as she turned to the desk. Chi-Chi noticed the genius was muttering about Piccolo might be right or some such nonsense and she laughed to herself. _The only reason she is saying that is because he frazzled her by actually being able to speak to us. _

"That one was fine only a little bruised. You just were afraid it could do damage and so bandaged it. We need to learn to trust." With a huff Bulma handed Chi-Chi the scissors and turned back to the table behind them. Chi-Chi just shrugged her shoulders and took the scissors Bulma had placed in her hands and looked at the man. He lifted an eyebrow when she stepped close to him. _He doesn't seem afraid that I will hurt him with these. _The more she thought about it he seemed to be trying not to laugh. _But that can't be right, why would he find me holding a potential weapon at him funny? _

Again she mentally shrugged it off and took a few more steps to be close to the healing capsule. She thought it was a funny name and so had dubbed it the healing pod. _Every other thing that comes from CC is a capsule but for once Bulma refused to not name it anything else. It doesn't even capsize into a pill sized capsule so why call it a capsule. _Fortunately she knew how to open the pod so she didn't need to interrupt the muttering female behind her and possibly start an argument.

The unfortunate part was that Chi-Chi had spent some time herself in one of these pods when a fall severely hurt her spine. Bulma always told her the healing capsule had saved Chi-Chi from sitting the rest of her days in a wheelchair. She had spent three months in confinement. By the end she had figured out the sequence the doctors used to open and close the pod when they examined her healing progress.

After pressing the sequence needed to open the pod only down to the chest she began to cut the right arm out of the cocoon the doctors had placed him inside. The scissors trembled a little because the man was staring at her so pointedly. The gaze so heated that it gave her butterflies in her belly. And all she could think was _never has a man made me feel this way._

As the last binding came loose she remembered Piccolo's warning that he was dangerous and she felt that his hand would shoot up and grab her. _Goodness, those other ninnies fears are getting to me. _She closed her eyes tight and stiffened in expectation of pain. But the gentleness of his hand on her cheek surprised her; actually made her flinch a little. Her eyes flew to his and he smiled. Her knees about gave out on her. If Bulma hadn't interrupted the moment by stating, "Alright, if he wants to write to communicate so be it," Chi-Chi would have been on the floor.

Bulma basically pushed the pen into his hand. But he seemed confused as to what to do with the device. He was twiddling it in his hand. Chi-Chi giggled a little inside thinking _he is not gaining points with Bulma by acting so stupid. _Then a sad thought occurred to her _what if he is not all there? Am I falling for a man who is not smart enough to have a conversation with? _Then she thought differently after Bulma lost patience and stated, "Oh for goodness sakes. It's a pen and it already has ink in it. Neanderthal." She took the pen and wrote 'idiot' on the paper. The look of surprise on his face showed he generally did not know how it worked. And nether woman could resist laughing at his shocked face.

In a child like wonder he doodled all over the paper experimenting on how it all worked. His expression was even that of a child opening a surprise gift. Chi-Chi could look at is face all day and marvel at his many different facial expressions. But obviously Bulma could not. She yelled out to him to "just write" and Chi-Chi began to chide her with a "Bulma…" but stopped when he began to write.

_Oh my _Chi-Chi thought _it's beautiful. _She had yet to know what he wrote but the movement of his hand across the page was almost graceful, fluid, and artistic. And the writing was neat and complete (if you're wondering what NOT complete is to me; it is when you write so fast you forget or miss letters in words and thus not complete). Then he stopped and turned the paper so they could read it.

It said: 'My name is Goku Son. I was traveling on an ally mission when my pod was attacked. I thought I was I would be left for dead.'

_Ally?_ Was one of Chi-Chi's thoughts and _Piccolo will relent when he hears that? _But then she looked back at the paper and wondered _where have I heard_ _Son before?_

Both she and Bulma spoke "Pod?" and "Son?" at the same time. They looked at each other and smiling over speaking simultaneously asked each other, "Does that mean something?" Chi-Chi couldn't help it this time and neither could Bulma they burst out laughing over same the same talking routine. It always made them laugh, especially more so if it was not funny to people not involved in the speaking. When they were younger they would do the whole "Jinx, you owe me a pop" routine…ok so they still did that on occasion.

Chi-Chi was brought out of her giggles by Goku coughing. _Goku? Yeah I like it. _She smiled and Bulma was still giggling. She stopped when she noticed, again, the staring contest the other two quiet people were having. She forced the paper back at Goku and demanded, "Explain pod."

Chi-Chi rolled her eyes _of course she would want to know that above everything else. And have to go first. I still figure out where I have heard his name before. It will bother me until I find out._

Again he wrote and this time to Chi-Chi it made almost no sense. _So a pod is a space ship that can what faster than what? This is totally Bulma lingo._ And by the look Bulma had in her face, probably near orgasmic as she'll ever be with a machine, she understood and was thrilled.

"So where is it?" Bulma asked. Chi-Chi gave a little shrug.

Goku wrote, "Did you not find me in it? With my injuries I'm surprised I'm not still stuck in it."

"Chi-Chi?" _What _she wanted to ask back, but held her tongue.

"Dad didn't say anything about a spaceship. He just showed up at our house bearing an injured tailed man. Then we brought him straight here." It was weird but Chi-Chi had never thought he really was an alien but here he was telling, rather writing, them he was in a space ship that had crash landed on Earth. And that brought back the fear that he might be as dangerous as Piccolo told them he was and could be a threat. Chi-Chi hated being in fear and she reacted always the same, in anger.

So when Bulma annoyingly told her to ask her dad about the ship she responded with a firm "Fine" followed with a stomp to the door she yelled, "DAD!"

Chi-Chi lost a little of her fear when she knew her dad was coming. She could feel his treads even before she could hear them. She knew people feared her dad because he was HUGE but to her he was as soft as a bunny and twice as shy. Outsiders knew him as the Ox King, feared throughout the land. To Chi-Chi he was her hero, her mentor, her protector, her gentle teacher, her dad. She figured people just didn't know how to approach him. He had an intimidating size that was very rare.

No one knows where his size came from in a long line of average sized people. In a picture of Ox with his parents he looked average but if you read the print on the back it would tell a different story. In the picture Ox was seven years old and stood at five feet ten inches, the same height as his father.

So it was that her HUGE dad squeezed himself into the room. "Yes, Chi-Chi?" he asked quietly. She felt a little bad that she had yelled so forcefully at him to come to the room where they were. His voice was gentle and not at all what you would expect from a man his size. And it pained her that she might have shaken him up; she was protective of him even from herself.

She pointed towards Goku and asked, "Where did you find this man?" She saw Goku give her dad a little wave when Ox looked at him and it made her smile return. _How can someone evil act that way with her dad? It's taken me two years to get Piccolo to even smile a little let alone acknowledge our friendship. And here is a supposedly dangerous alien greeting her dad with a smile and a wave. No he is not bad and I will leave it at that._

"Out in the desert." _Not much to go on dad. _She inwardly rolled her eyes and prompted, "In…?" she hated using her child friendly voice but sometime Ox needed it.

"In a weird sort of can. It was all scrunched up and broken." _Now I feel really bad for sounding harsh. I didn't mean to make him feel guilty. Sometimes my big voice just comes out being meaner that I wanted it to. _

"Could you find it again Ox King?" Bulma asked excitedly. Chi-Chi knew that tone and the face her friend had; a kid in a candy store with unlimited funds. _She probably wants to dismantle it, study it, put it back together her way with her name on the patent, and sell it as a CC product. And it would be better than it had been before. _And as expected when asked why she would want it all ruined she responded, "I have my reasons."

Ox left after saying ok to getting the 'can' and Chi-Chi gave Bulma a I know you look and Bulma shrugged it off turning back to Goku. Chi-Chi did likewise. All the excitement must have weakened him for he seemed to be dosing.

"Piccolo was right, he's not from here." _At least she's not freaking out or holding scissors on him._ But then she realized he really was an…"Alien," she and Bulma said together though in different ways. Bulma was curious so she was amazed and Chi-Chi was shocked to be falling for a species not of her own. And yetshe wondered aloud, "it's strange but for the tail he could pass for one of us."

All of a sudden Goku was wide eyed and seemed to be in a panic. _Did he hear me talking about his tail? Did he think we took it? _She was by his side in an instant recognizing a need for reassurance. She began to stroke his arm and in a soothing voice said, "It's still there."

The fear she saw in his eyes disappeared and the lids began to droop once again. Whether in exhaustion or from drugs Chi-Chi did not know but she was thankful he was finally resting. She looked over at Bulma and realized it was from drugs he had slept because Bulma was giving Chi-Chi a thumbs up with one hand and pointing to the bag of liquid hanging next to his bed.

Chi-Chi looked at Goku and smiled thinking _I am so going to marry you. _ And she smiled even bigger.

**Thank you all for writing reviews and for being patient enough to wait for an update. I am terrible when it comes to my own stories. Please still feel free to give me ideas and reviews. See ya next time ;)**


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